Must watch (no 'TL;dr' for these videos, my brothers!):
Dr. William B. Davis, M.D., has a book 'Wheat Belly' that I haven't read but would have all the evidence you need to eliminate glutens from your diet. The lecture, 'Wheat the UN-Healthy Whole Grain' on Youtube is great. He explains what he's observed in his clinical practice, the research he's come across that identifies effects of wheat consumption (increases schizophrenic symptoms in those diagnosed - wheat acts like an opiate on the brain), how wheat consumption ties to both weight gain and IBS / Crohn's / auto-immune diseases. Really a good video and he even touches on the topic 'why does government allow this to happen? is it negligent or willful?' He doesn't think it's willful in that video, but another interview (audio only, also on Youtube) he admits it probably is (which is what I believe too). Talk about having poison right in front of you at the dinner table and not knowing it...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbBURnqYVzw
Dr. Robert Lustig, M.D., is featured in 'Sugar: The Bitter Truth' which went viral on Youtube. There is also a documentary 'Sugarcoated' which is required viewing for anyone with kids or who is close to young kids. The candida phenomenon is very real and likely accompanying anyone who has digestive issues and consumes sugar, drinks beer or wine.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBnniua6-oM
Plus a great TEDx talk 'Sugar - The Elephant in the Kitchen'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmC4Rm5cpOI
I *highly* recommend watching 'The 12 Bad Foods to Avoid and Why' by Dr. Peter Glidden, N.D. He explains why BBQ is bad, soda or carbonated beverages should never be drunk with meals, and other foods / processes to avoid. I have really seen my health and well-being improve since I've made these challenging but rewarding choices. It's the best 20 min you can spend informing yourself about what to put into your body.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WCzq-a1z7A
I also recommend watching Dr. Joel Wallach's presentation 'Somebody Needs to Go to Jail'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZUW_msobAs
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Longer version:
This is a topic I've got direct experience with, battling what I self-diagnosed as leaky gut / IBS / gluten intolerance.
Background info:
Early 40s, blood type O, Middle Eastern / European mix. No significant health issues, regular blood donor, pulse typically 60-70, bp 120/80. Mesomorph who can gain or lose weight pretty quickly, but have fought a bit of a belly since my 30s. Digestion started to get wacky in my mid 30s and I had to look more deeply into why. Don't drink very much at all, no smoking and no hard drugs. My father did die of heart disease brought on by type 2 diabetes. I didn't know the correlation until after he'd been diagnosed with heart disease but it was very late in the game and I couldn't help much as much as I wanted. So I decided when he died 6 years ago that I would keep his legacy alive best I can by taking better care of myself and that's been my commitment. I consider myself a life and health coach, without 'formal' training but I'm scientifically-trained and comfortable reading journal to gather significant facts. Denise Minger's RawFoodSOS is a good place to inform oneself, as is Mark's Daily Apple.
Dietarily, I have always gravitated toward meat and vegetables rather than excessive pasta and grains (which interestingly is also what my 'type' suggests, per the work of Dr. D'Adamo and his father in 'Eat Right for Your Type'.)
Before anyone dismisses it, the truth is you really don't know if it's true or not. I suggest humbling your mind, finding out your type (easy way is to go to American Red Cross or another local blood bank, give blood and they'll inform you afterward) and then what foods you crave vs. could do without. Also pay attention to foods that are NOT recommended for you. And by 'what you crave', I don't mean junk, I mean what REAL foods your body likes and reacts well to. Mangos are a plug on my list and they're a favorite fruit but I hate watermelons, always made me very gassy and those are not recommended.
Through my 20s I was able to eat pretty much anything I wanted and didn't get fat. Cake, ice cream, bread, pasta, late at night, occasional pig-outs, etc. But I always was sensitive to diary (diarrhea soon after having ice cream) so I knew that was a trigger. In my 30s my body would react more negatively to most of those carb-based foods, whether from a slowing metabolism or just overworking my digestive system.
A couple years ago, around when I turned 40, I began noticing multiple symptoms that suggested I had either irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) / leaky gut, and various autoimmune conditions like eczema on my hands and face, sometimes arms or legs. Urgent bowel elimination, general churning and discomfort, random weird headaches that weren't about dehydration or lack of sleep. If I went without wheat for a while then had a couple pieces of bread, within a few hours my intestines were feeling uncomfortable and I had much more watery stool (nearly diarrhea sometimes) than the previous several movement. Being a scientist, I keep track of these things and see if there is a correlation or not. I noted that diary had a few effects, wheat similar but also some unique ones, fried foods others, lots of sugar made me itchy in a short period (candida). It was clear that my choice of foods was impacting my health and because I needed to be on-point with my health to run my business and also be / stay attractive to date fresh young girlfriends, I was motivated to improve.
As I did research into causes, a friend told me about the GAPS diet (Gut and Psychology Syndrome). Some info here from the website linked below:
Quote:Quote:
The GAPS diet was derived from the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) created by Dr. Sidney Valentine Haas to naturally treat chronic inflammatory conditions in the digestive tract as a result of a damaged gut lining. SCD gained great popularity after a mother, Elaine Gottschall, healed her own child of Ulcerative Colitis and became an advocate for SCD. Elaine Gottschall is also the author of the popular book, Breaking the Vicious Cycle:Intestinal Health Through Diet. Through years of research and clinical experience, Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride adjusted her protocol to fit the individual healthcare needs of her patients suffering from a variety of intestinal and neurological conditions as a result of an imbalanced bacterial ecosystem within the GI tract. The GAPS Diet focuses on removing foods that are difficult to digest and damaging to gut flora and replacing them with nutrient-dense foods to give the intestinal lining a chance to heal and seal.
http://www.gapsdiet.com
Bone soup is all the rage in health circles now, and for good reason. We made a recipe that combined beef bones and chicken backs, so you didn't have the overwhelmingly 'beefy' typical bone soup as the chicken gave it a more comfortable and familiar flavor. With some simple allowed seasonings (oh, and Himalayan or other sea salt, with some iodine added for proper supplementation) it was really delicious! I started drinking about half a cup before every meal and was very careful to stay away from the forbidden foods. I couldn't pound a whole cup but having it first thing in the morning, then waiting . I also took some probiotic supplements, along with morning DHEA (50mg), NAC, and beta glucan.
It took about 3 weeks, but I started to see improvements in my terrible hand eczema, WITHOUT the use of steroid creams as a family member (dermatologist) recommended. My digestion was improving, my face was less puffy. I remember with amazement how my hands went from looking like a lizard to being smoother than I'd ever remembered especially since starting my manual-dexterity-requiring business.
I was feeling MUCH better, but it still wasn't enough. The next level for me was to give up dairy. That was a tough one, as I'd gotten used to heavy cream in coffee, Strauss / organic ice cream now and then, raw cheese occasionally, etc. Pairing wine and cheese is such a pleasure! I had been been reading Mark's Daily Apple for a while and came across comments from Art de Vany. The guy is an animal, love his advice and his 'natural' style of functional weight training. He was adamant that drinking or eating dairy is highly inflammatory and allergenic. I KNOW it is for me. So I made that commitment.
In about two weeks, I lost about 10# of total weight (water and fat) not having a drop of cow's milk in my diet. I was actually floored. I could see definition in my abs that had always been covered by an annoying layer of fat. It had nothing to do with exercise as I'd kept the same routine for months. It was just a matter of what I was eating. For the first time since who knows how long, my digestion was solid. I didn't have to rush to the bathroom after a meal, or deal with tons of gas. I felt normal, and free. I also looked and felt way younger so it wasn't like I was losing anything other than the discomfort of going against my biological needs.
Along with this, I researched the necessary nutrients my body needed to stay health. There are great threads about supps on here and i don't have them linked, but if you search for 'zinc made me a better man' and related topics in health you'll find it. I developed some protocols that I follow and continually tweak, but have been feeling years younger and been able to maintain stronger, longer erections and really feel like a 'rockstar' in bed (not been having sex as much as I'd like right now but working on that). I also have excellent energy, able to focus 12+ hours a day on my business and hobbies.
The 'Mighty 90' recommended by Dr. Joel Wallach, DVM, N.D., makes good sense. I used their supps for a while (youngevity is his brand) but as I went deeper I found the proportions didn't make sense (like the amount of vit A in the beyond tangy tangerine powder, or the Ca:Mg ratio in the OsteoFX) which struck me as strange. Maybe he was designing them for people who had specific deficiencies but I didn't have those. I think his information is very sensitive and well-researched, but the formulation weren't as targeted to my needs as I could do myself. So I've made my own cocktail. If anyone is interested in support for a specific ailment, you can google / youtube 'dr wallach {disease here}' and lots will come up. Dr. Glidden is also very informed and not quite as long-winded. Pharmacist Ben Fuchs is also great (not a nutritionist but aware of a lot of health care). He looks great for his age and has good recommendations on skin care. Could go on and on, but want to stay more targeted on the gut issues.
I also came across the topic of 'biological immortality' which I believe was in a comment that Art de Vany made or someone else in a post. It's worth researching. The general dietary recommendation for men once you reach your 30s is to eat primarily paleo. In your teens to 20s, you can eat more mixed diets. This jives with me and what I've found helps me feel healthy, look healthy, and stave off chronic disease. I make my food my medicine, as
Hippocrates says.
DISCLAIMER: I am not selling supps or 'kratom', just providing information.